


Clear as Day

by orphan_account



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Awkward Sexual Situations, Consensual Sex, F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Marichat, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Sexual Inexperience, ladrien, my first fic so of course it's smut, nsfw so read at your own risk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-08 15:32:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5503040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrien blames his insomnia on Ladybug. He copes through the only way he knows how.<br/>(It started out angsty --> now morphing into awkward hilarity.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sleepless

It wasn’t a particularly humid Parisian night, but his skin was aflame.

Adrien’s comforter lay near his feet after being kicked away. Everything was hot. _Too hot._ His skin was slicked with sweat and his light t-shirt felt uncomfortably wet. Every time he turned to a new position, his bedding soon became too warm for him to handle. After a fit of frustration, he finally sat up and glanced at his clock, glowing faintly green in the dark. 3:20am.

The memories from earlier today would not leave him alone and let him sleep. He had school the next morning with another modeling gig right after class ended. He didn’t have time for insomnia. He blamed it on Ladybug.

 

-

 

Earlier in the day, he had been at yet another photoshoot. It was abruptly stopped when a jealous akumatized victim charged into the shoot, with Adrien as the target of her affections.

Before he had a chance to get away from the public eye and transform into Chat Noir, Ladybug was already on the scene. How had she gotten there so fast? She made eye contact with him and for a second, embarrassment ran red on her cheeks. It was only momentarily before the stunned glaze disappeared from her eyes. She charged at him. He didn’t understand her expression, but was further surprised when she briskly lifted him into her arms and carried him away, bride style.

“Hold on tight!” she instructed, and before he could react, she leaped into the air with him in her arms and headed for the rooftops. He found himself wrapping his arms around the neck of his lady as she carried him away from the scene. The heights didn’t scare him, but suddenly being held in Ladybug’s arms left him feeling dazed and self-conscious.

Adrien, or rather _Chat Noir_  , had known Ladybug for 5 years, and his brain still turned into mush whenever she was around. He first fell in love with her when they were both entering their teenage years. It was her bravery, leadership, and kindness that captured his heart. Years passed, and these same elements of her personality still stood shining, but he had also watched her grow into a beautiful young woman. Her arms and legs were still slim, but with constant fighting and patrolling, her muscles rippled subtly under her fitted vinyl suit. Gentle curves now filled her slim chest and waist. She was unmistakably beautiful - oh, so beautiful - but 5 years had brought him no closer to knowing his partner behind the mask. She was well aware of how badly he wanted to know who she was, but she always spurned his advances. He loved and respected her too much to push her with advances other than his light flirting, but the curiosity still caused him to ache at his core.

He watched the side of his lady's face intently.

Her lips were parted as she drew in deep breathes while running and carrying him away. There were very few areas of Ladybug that were exposed, but her lips and eyes were his favourite parts. His eyes followed the silhouette of her face to her jawline and settled on her neck to the junction where her skin met the vinyl of her suit. Oh, how he wished he could just pry that back just an inch and see more of his lady. He would do anything to be able to see more of her true self.

Her entire being was _enchanting._

He leaned in closer, until his face was inadvertently pressed against the crest of her neck. He smiled as he inhaled slowly.

Ladybug almost lost her footing on the rooftops at the sudden intimacy. She stopped and slowly released him to let his feet touch the shingles of the building.

Adrien’s mouth ran dry.

“Oh! U-um, s-sorry about that!” he managed to blurt out. Ladybug’s face was once again cherry red.

“T-that’s okay! H-heights can be a bit scary…” she stammered back. “I have to go now, but I’ll be back to let you down after I take down the akuma, okay?”

She was so sweet and understanding despite her discomfort. Adrien realized that his arms were still wrapped around his lady’s neck, and he dropped them to his side and quickly took a small step back. He nodded frantically in accordance and mentally berated himself for accidentally making his lady uncomfortable.

_She must think I'm an creep._

Ladybug flashed him a small, nervous smile before she turned and darted back toward the akuma, now screeching with jealousy in the distance. Plagg squirmed out of his shirt pocket and seconds later, the unlucky black cat bounded after Ladybug on the rooftops.

When Ladybug returned after the battle, Adrien was nowhere to be found.

 

-

 

He didn’t have enough patience left to deal with insomnia at 3:20am. He has more work and class the next day. A quick glance to the side showed Plagg still sound asleep in the dark. Plagg’s snoring rumbled lightly against the quiet in his overly large room, and Adrien knew he was in the clear.

He quietly hoisted himself off his bed and walked toward his computer. He sat down and the mouse was jostled gently. Adrien dimmed the monitor as soon as the screen turned on. He quickly glanced behind him to see Plagg still snoring quietly before he returned his eyes to the screen. The Ladyblog was still opened up with Alya’s most recent photo of Ladybug smiling confidently at the camera. The time stamp showed him it was taken just the day before.

Shame boiled on his face.

He hated doing what he was about to do. It felt wrong to see his partner this way. He loved her emotionally, but 5 years also created new changes to his own body, and there were demands that begrudgingly needed to be met.

He tugged at the waistband on his boxers and pulled it past his hips, exposing his already engorged member.  A small film of pre-cum already coated the tip and oozed down his shaft. He was embarrassed by how much moisture had already seeped out during his frantic, half-asleep state.

With one hand, he gently wrapped his hand around his turgid member, while his other hand snaked up his shirt onto his own chest. He long fingers stroked his chest in small circles before he reached for his nipple. That small, sensitive bundle of nerves sent electric waves of pleasure through his body and to his groin.

He looked at Ladybug’s radiant smile one last time before he closed his eyes.

Slowly, he stroked his warm member and felt it throb beneath his touch. He imagined it was his lady’s nimble hands that touched him – skin on vinyl – turning him to putty. He wanted to know how her skin truly felt, but felt ashamed at wanting so much.

Would she be disgusted by him and his typical male teenage antics, or would she be flattered that he found her so attractive?

Lead seemed to settle in his stomach when he realized it was most likely the former.

He – _Ladybug_ – tightened her grip on his member and quickened her pace. Beads of sweat slicked his already wet forehead even further as he felt the ecstasy build beneath his skin. He imagined ladybug peppering kisses along his chest and flicking her tongue deftly against him. A quiet gasp escaped his lips. More… he wanted to see more of her.

The Ladybug he knew in person always wore the red vinyl suit, littered with black polka dots.

The Ladybug that touched him in his most intimate areas did not have to.

Her suit slowly dissolved from the lithe body and exposed her bare skin to him, starting from her limbs toward her chest. Behind his eyelids, he saw her bare skin speckled with gooseflesh up close. Her slender, but muscular arm flexed as she pumped him at increasing speed. More sweat dripped from his body as the liquid tension continued to build. She looked up from his chest and all he could see were her deep blue eyes staring back at him. He longed to see the ends of her lips curl into that innocent smile he was oh so familiar with, but she stared into his eyes with an expression he could not read.

Why couldn't he know more of her? See more of her?

All that was left was her mask. The edges of her mask slowly started to fade as it misted from her skin…

Adrien’s eyes shot open as he quickly reached for a tissue. He moaned as he suddenly spilled his load, almost missing the tissue entirely. Several waves passed as he was overcome with pleasure, until it slowly faded.

He sat stiffly before he was able to regain his breath.

That… was embarrassing. His tissue was heavy with wetness, and some had even gotten onto his hands. He cleaned his own mess with yet another tissue before slumping back into his chair. If he was tired before, he was even more exhausted now.

Quietly, Adrien crept back into his bed before clamping his eyes shut again.

“Ladybug…” he mumbled softly into his pillow through his laboured breathing.

The temporary moment of ecstasy was suddenly replaced as guilt settled into his already heavy heart. He wish he didn't have to do this so often, but he would never be able to sleep otherwise. A new day will come, and he would need to live and act as Chat Noir as if nothing ever happened.

His limbs felt heavy as he slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep. The warmth no longer bothered him.

He did not see the flash of red that crept slowly from his window, back into the night.


	2. Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette doesn't know what to do with her discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too NSFW this time. It's more of mental development from Marinette's perspective.

What... was  _that_?

Marinette did not stop running. Her legs ached from crouching for such a long time, but she wouldn't let them cease. Her legs burned with lactic acid, but she still didn't stop. She was privy to something she had no permission to see. Her mind screamed angry rebukes, but she just couldn't look away.

_Curiosity killed the cat, didn't it?_

All she wanted to do was find Adrien after the battle with the akuma. It was an unfortunately drawn out battle, all because she felt so flustered from the rooftops when Adrien... when he... nuzzled her neck? Focusing on the battle became an insurmountable task, and she and Chat keep crashing and tripping over each other. In retrospect, Chat also seemed quite on edge and flustered too. He could hardly speak to her with a straight face, and it was no wonder why the battle felt so uncoordinated. Sure, there would usually be a few debacles as they worked up a method to take down each victim, but the amount of times they both ended on their bottoms was embarrassing. She couldn't quite understand him today... unless he was also privy to that singular moment of intimacy between her and Adrien.

She bit her lip.

By the time she finally purified the butterfly, she almost forgot Adrien was still left on a random roof in the middle of Paris. Her fistbump with Chat was more akin to an aggressive jab as she quickly darted from the scene. Cringing, she hoped that she did not bruise her partner's knuckles too badly.

When she returned to the direction she left him, he was nowhere to be found. Panic ensued and she spent at least an hour looking for Adrien before she concluded that he must have completely disappeared. She couldn't find him at the Agreste residence either. Where did he go? Anxiety racked her mind and she could barely breathe. What if he didn't get off the roof after all? Why did she even leave him there at all, like sitting prey? Maybe it was just an excuse to find him again later. Which had failed, regardless. 

And that is why she couldn't be blamed for wanting to check at his home again, especially since sleep would not come to visit her otherwise.

 _I was only doing my duty,_ she lied to herself.

But still, she could not stop running after seeing... that. She finally reached her escape hatch and dropped unceremoniously onto her bed without transforming. With her face buried into her hands, she tried to tease apart and dissect her memories. He was looking at something on his computer. Despite dimming and blocking most of the view, she could have sworn the top left corner of the webpage looked familiar. A bit too familiar.

She's seen the page a million times. The Ladyblog.

She scrambled to her computer and saw that Alya's newest post was a large photo of Marinette smiling radiantly at the camera. Ladybug, to be exact.

But that would mean... that he was... doing _that_ to...

Her head reeled.

She didn't have night vision like Chat, but the faint glow of his dimmed screen provided just enough light for her to see him and his hands moving against his... Her body turned red at the memory. She didn't know how to feel. It wasn't like he was the only one in Paris who had feelings for her; hell, Chat would openly flirt with her at any given moment, even in the middle of a battle. However, discovering that the boy who turned her legs to jelly also had some variety of feelings toward her made her want to hide forever.

_Is it a mutual crush? Or just lust? Am I just a sexual fantasy? He doesn't even know me._

But certainly, the undeniable feeling of flattery was also present.

Marinette entered her washroom and squinted as the lights flicked on. She stared at herself in the mirror, still in the vinyl Ladybug suit. She flexed shamelessly at the mirror and saw her slim muscles bulge. Her build was slim, but athletic, and she was proud of how far her body has come since she first received her Miraculous Stones. She would never think less of anyone who was not fit and slim, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Building muscle on the female frame was no easy task.

"Tikki, spots off."

Her bathroom briefly flashed pink, and Marinette was left staring at her plain, boring self. How was it that a vinyl suit could smooth out all her imperfections and make her so attractive? Now she felt mediocre and flawed. 

"Are you alright, Marinette?" asked the kwami.

Marinette shook her head.

"I just... what am I supposed to do with that new knowledge?"

"Well... aren't you flattered that he's attracted to you?"

"Sure, now I can tell he's physically attracted to me, but I don't know how he really feels. Would he still be physically attracted to me if I was just myself? A-and... what use is physical attraction? I don't think he really cares about me at all..."

She hung her head in defeat.

Tikki alighted softly onto her shoulder. "I don't know what this means, Marinette, but can't physical attraction grow into more one day? We've never seen Adrien with a girlfriend before. Maybe this means he's at least interested in you?"

"Not me. He's interested in Ladybug."

The kwami sighed.

"Oh Marinette..."

Tikki slowly tugged her defeated charge to her bed. Sleep did not come easily that night.

 

-

 

Marinette couldn't breathe.

Adrien simply sat in front of her, with his stupidly angelic blonde hair and innocent face. Physics phased in and out of her conscience without leaving a mark, and she knew there would be a price to pay later. Her head hurt from sleep deprivation. Every time she looked at the back of his head, she felt so flustered that she had to quickly look away.

"You alive, Marinette?"

She turned her head to see a stack of paper dangling in front of her. The sheets of paper were held by the slender, long fingers of... Adrien Agreste. He smiled at her, with slight apprehension knitted in his brows.

"I-I'm sorry, w-what?"

"The hand out. Take one and pass it on?"

"Oh. O-OH!"

She quickly grabbed the paper out of his hands and distributed a sheet to Alya and herself, before passing it along. She heard Chloe's mean-spirited laughter directed toward her, but she was too tired to care.

"Are you alright Marinette? You look a bit tired today."

"I'm f-fine! I'm perfect! W-well not perfect but... I-I'm okay!"

Adrien smiled once again before turning back to the board. Alya gaped at Marinette and wrapped an arm around her shoulder in solace. 

 _I'm an idiot,_ she berated.  _He was holding that out for me with his hands. That... that hand that he was using to... Oh gods did he even wash his hands??_

The rest of physics class passed in a blur. She couldn't even distract herself by drawing new designs. When she finally looked down at her sketchpad, designs of gloves meant for long, slender fingers littered the page. Long, sinful fingers.

She hung her red face in her hands. She couldn't live like this, lest she never wanted to sleep again. 

 

-

 

Once again, Chat seemed a bit unnerved that night during their patrol. She saw him blushing faintly under the dim light of the Parisian moon when she stopped him. His discomfort worried her.

"Did I do something wrong, Chat? You've been acting odd since the akuma attack yesterday."

"Ah, my Lady cares about me," he replied smoothly. He threaded his gloved hands through his blonde hair, and said nothing else.

"What does that mean?" she pressed. "Are you okay?"

If this partnership could work, she needed him to be open and talk about problems. Having another disaster like the day before was something Ladybug did not want to repeat. In a gesture of consolation, she wrapped her arm over his shoulder pulled him closer.

Chat looked away, blushing an even deeper shade of red. He quickly ducked from under her arm, and pulled away awkwardly. Chat rubbed the back of his neck bashfully.

"T'is nothing, my Lady. I'm purrfectly fine."

Ladybug rolled her eyes and sighed.

"That was weak, Chat. Even for you."

It was often futile getting a straight response out of Chat, and the rest of the patrol was finished in silence. Chat tried to be more open during the rest of the night, but she could still feel his uneasiness. She shook her head... at least maybe she could get other answers from other sources tonight. She bade him goodbye at the end of their patrol before she set off.

 

- 

 

She arrived at the Agreste residence at exactly 11pm. Marinette had Adrien's whole schedule mapped out, but she didn't know when he would be asleep. Nor did she know his usually bedtime routine. Once again, they had school the next day, but he wasn't home yet. She leaned casually against the side of his house and shut her eyelids. He could come home at any time, and she was still exhausted from the sleepless night before.

Time passed as Ladybug slowly phased out of consciousness.

 _He's here_ , gestured Tikki, causing Marinette to jostle awake. Without a watch, she was clueless to the amount of time that passed.

The lights flickered on in his room, and she backed away from the window to prevent being seen. The last thing she intended to do was to scare him as a looming figure outside his window. She watched him enter his room with a handful of white cubes that looked like cheese, before he entered a part of his room she could not see from her angle.

When he returned, his nightly routine was quite normal. Pack his bag for school the following day. Brush his teeth. Shower. She gaped when he exited his bathroom with nothing but a towel around his waist. Once again, she hid her face with her hands in embarrassment.

_This is wrong this is wrong this is wrong WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME??_

When she finally looked up again, he was in a pair of tight fitting briefs and an old but comfortable T-shirt. She covered her mouth to suppress her laughter when she saw his T-shirt had Ladybug screenprinted on it. He was definitely a fan at least, she concluded.

She watched him turn off the light before settling into bed. Her muscles were once again becoming stiff and achey from crouching for such a long time. Minutes passed without much change, although she saw him turn restlessly a few times in bed.

_Is that it?_

She grimaced, realizing she was expecting to see scenes similar to the night before.

It took her such a long time to become more comfortable being around Adrien. At least 3 years passed before she could begin speaking full sentences with him. Yet despite all this time, she hadn't quite realized that he was still a regular boy, with regular boy needs and regular boy tendencies. He wasn't perfect. It was only natural for him to have feelings and crushes. With him being a gorgeous model, it was only reasonable that he would only be interested in people of a certain caliber, such as Ladybug. Her alter ego _did_ have celebrity status, after all. It also made sense that he also had hormonal urges too since boys and girls both go through puberty. Masturbating to pictures of Ladybug didn't make him a pervert, did it? It wasn't like Marinette never had the occasional impure thoughts of a nude Adrien... Many of his modeling photos were suggestive enough as is, especially with the Gabriel Agreste underwear line. Hell, these thoughts would often come and go even while she stared holes into the back of his head during class. But to see him in such a state, so raw and visceral, clutching his manhood, breathless in the throes of pleasure... it now reduced her back to the very first day she met Adrien, completely unable to look him in the eye or even utter proper words. All it took was one night to reduce her back into a bumbling idiot.

Marinette felt a slight dampness in her panties. She was glad that it would not seep through the vinyl, but she hoped Tikki would not be upset with her or mention it later...

 _What do you hope to get out of this?_ Asked Tikki. Marinette didn't know how to reply.

She jolted when she saw Adrien slowly get up from his bed toward his computer. She stepped even further away from the window when she saw him looking around somewhat guiltily. Did he feel her presence nearby? But she was so careful.

Once again, the monitor flashed on and he entered the address to the Ladyblog.

He fumbled with the waistband of his briefs again before the dim light of his monitor outlined the silhouette of his already turgid member. Ladybug stepped closer to the window and watched intensely.

He began to stroke himself again, starting slowly and gently massaging the head while his other hand cupped his testicles. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back against his chair; mouth slightly ajar. She couldn't hear anything, but she saw his lips mouth the word _Ladybug_... The window fogged up before Ladybug realized how close she had come to his window.

Through the glass, she heard someone's muffled voice cut through the silence.

"Adrien, there's someone outside!"

He stopped abruptly and his eyes flickered open. He scrambled to pull his briefs back over his still erect penis, which bulged out inauspiciously beneath the fabric, before turning toward his window.

With green meeting blue, the two stared at each other wordlessly. Ladybug was trapped.

Adrien quickly grabbed a pillow to cover up his shame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost feel bad for the cliffhanger. Funny how Marinette is so flustered by all this but... can you blame her after seeing someone you assumed was so innocent?  
> Sorry for the cliffhanger, I'll be sure to write a new chapter soon. Thanks for liking and commenting. BTW I have no idea what to name these chapters?? Once again, things are also posted on my tumblr of the same name.


	3. Open Windows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all like awkwardness.

This wasn’t quite what Marinette expected from this night.

A show?

_Maybe._

_Well, yes._

Some answers?

_That would be helpful if she really knew the questions to begin with._

But being caught?

_She thought she had been **so** careful._

His emerald orbs gazed back at hers in wide horror. Panic seized her body as she took a small step back; turning, she was poised to run, because _oh god_ she’s been caught red-handed.

“Wait!” he cried, muffled voice beyond the glass. The window flew open behind her and she felt a hand grasp her wrist, holding her captive outside his window. She turned to face him, cheeks red in horror, before glancing down at her wrist.

_W-wasn’t he just using that hand???_

She squealed in embarrassment as her bottom fell against the cold roof of the Agreste mansion. Adrien released her immediately.

“O-oh! Sorry! Just…” Adrien stuttered. “… please! Don’t run away. I can explain. I swear!”

Ladybug watched his face. There was so much shame just misting off his skin. His voice had slight tremors of anxiety, but his eyes were just pleading for her to stay. It seemed that he was more ashamed at being caught, rather than upset at Ladybug’s apparent stalking. Somehow, he had given her the upper-hand, despite the guilt that gripped inside Marinette’s core. She considered him for a moment before rising to her feet and dusting off her suit.

Emptiness filled the space between them, as neither of them knew what to say.

Adrien coughed surreptitiously into the back of his hand to try to break the silence. Years of practicing small talk with prestigious guests under the guise of his father’s perfect son did not prepare him for this. The usual, self-assured conversationalist inside seemed to have stepped out of the room, now that he felt so exposed, in more than one sense.

“I thought I heard a voice. I-is there someone else inside?”

“No! I didn’t hear anything.”

“B-but I swear-”

“WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME INSIDE??”

If he could have smacked himself in the face, he would have done so.

Ladybug eyed him suspiciously as she considered his question. Then, she nodded slowly before stepping through his window. Unsure of where to go, she hesitantly took a seat on his bed. She positioned one knee over the other, causing her body to withdraw and shrink even further in his oversized room. Adrien, now equally unsure of where to sit, turned on the tiny lamp on his nightstand before sitting awkwardly on his computer chair positioned far away, enough to give his Lady some space.

She looked around his room. Now that she was inside with the lights on, she saw a few things she hadn’t noticed before. Small Ladybug and Chat Noir memorabilia were scattered around his room in subtle ways: a small photo of the dynamic duo attached to his white board, a poster on the other side of his bedroom, a tiny ladybug-themed picture frame on his desk, a Ladybug and Chat nendoroid hiding on his monstrously unkempt shelf of video games, a cat plushie with the colour scheme of Chat Noir on his nightstand… and so on. She stifled an unexpected giggle under her breathe. Perhaps he was more of a fanboy than she originally thought.

Seeing Adrien so exposed made Ladybug feel a bit elated, with the tension slipping away slightly from her shoulders. Sure, he still had the face and body of a renaissance masterpiece, with blonde locks that took all of her effort not to run her fingers through… but seeing his dorky side made him a bit less intimidating. The look of vulnerability was one that she barely saw from Adrien - with the other few select moments being when he was too polite to turn down Chloe and simply complied to her unreasonable demands. While she still felt guilty for making him feel this way, seeing a shy, susceptible Adrien somehow made him seem even more… endearing? It was yet another facet of his being that she pointedly added to her ever-growing list of traits she liked in him, despite the maladroit situation they both found themselves in. She still found it difficult to be completely relaxed around him, but she felt a little better noting the slight shift in their dynamic.

Adrien watched his Lady’s eyes scan his felt unnecessarily spacious room. He grimaced, noting the disastrous pile of knick-knacks cluttering his desk, and the piles of clothing that seemed to flood from his closets. What a first impression, with Ladybug seeing the _cat_ astrophe that was his bedroom. His only consolation was that Plagg adopted the facade of a lifeless plushie, but who knows how long he’d be willing to stay still. He had a creeping suspicion that Plagg’s mischief would cause both their demise one day. He thought Plagg had been asleep all this time. Who knows how long he’d also been watching?

He still clutched at his pillow over his groin, hoping his erection would go away as fast as possible. This didn’t seem likely, now that _Ladybug was literally sitting on his bed_ , but he tried desperately to push that thought elsewhere. With a surge of bravery, he decided to break the ice with a question.

“Ahem… sorry for asking, but why were you outside my window?”

He watched as the blood drained from Ladybug’s face.

“W-why was… why was I… OH!” Ladybug started, scrambling to reformulate her semblance of a good excuse prepared in her head. “I said to stay put the other day. ‘C-Cause… The akuma! Yeah. B-but then I couldn’t find you afterward so I was scared you were hurt or lost or dead in a gutter or… s-something. I spent hours looking for you! H-how did you get home?”

“I… uh, called for my driver and he helped me down. I got tired of waiting. I guess I should have stayed still.”

“N-no! That’s fine! I’m j-just glad you’re alright!”

“Yeah! I-I’m fine. Thank you for saving me from the akuma.”

He watched as Ladybug looked away, biting her lip. The dim lighting of his room cast long shadows on her reddened face. He had never seen her so flustered before, and the way she stuttered reminded him faintly of one of his classmates. It was touching that his Lady cared about his civilian persona enough to make house calls, though he knew his Lady would always go this far for any citizen of Paris. Even Chloe. He wondered briefly how Ladybug knew his personal address, but decided against asking.

Exhaling, he braced himself for the next question.

“Alright. So… how much did you see?”

Ladybug kept her head faced down. Now, her face was as red as her suit, and that had been enough to answer that question.

With her head still turned away, she decided to answer his question with yet another question.

“Is that… because of me?”

“Huh?”

“I-Is it?”

“Is what?”

“Is… T…. THAT!!” She buried her face in the crest of her elbow while her other hand gesticulated wildly to the pillow still covering his crotch. Now it was Adrien’s time to turn red as a beet. He'd been caught in Chloe's double-edged sword enough times to know there was no easy way out. To say yes would make him a pervert. To say no would insult his lady. He supposed the former was the lesser of the two evils.

“…y-yeah…”

Now he really wished he had sanitized his hand before grabbing her arm earlier. He felt dirty. Oh, so filthy.

Ladybug finally looked up and met his gaze.

“B-but why?”

He was baffled. How on earth was he supposed to explain why he was masturbating to her? Because he was a boy, doing what boys do? Because she was gorgeous? Because he… because he… Of all situations, this was not how he ever imagined it would be when finally addressed his feelings. 

He sighed. She already caught him in such an compromising situation. Might as well get the rest out in the open.

“Ladybug,” he started, his voice now low and unwavering, “You’ve saved me countless times, and you’re beautiful. You are inspirational. I like you. I really, _really_ like you. Both inside and out.”

Her eyes widened.

“But you don’t even know me!”

“Maybe I know a bit more than you’d think.”

“No, you don’t! You don’t know anything about me! You don’t even know the real me. I’ve only saved you like, maybe 3 times, and that’s it!”

“Maybe that’s only the side of me you think you know.”

“But… wait what?”

“Never mind!”

The burgeoning silence soon crept between the two once again. As Chat, he’s known her for years, and while she’s spurned his advances countless times, he knows his feelings aren’t misplaced. So why was she so insistent to push his affections away and tell him he barely knows her? Ladybug may have seen them as strangers, but not Chat. If he could have used the word love, he would have. But that would have likely just sent Ladybug running away. Maybe, he suspected, that Ladybug was someone who also admired him? That would explain why she kept pushing Chat away, but seemed to completely lose her cool while talking to his civilian persona. He smirked at the thought.

So now it was settled. While questions still remained unanswered, it was indisputable that Adrien really was attracted to Ladybug, in more ways than just physical. Marinette noted the urgency in his voice to prove her otherwise; to show her his feelings were more akin to affection than lust, though she remained unconvinced despite his claims of knowing her well inside. Despite all this, a growing boldness surged within her to ask for more, now that she knew she had some pretense of power as Ladybug over Adrien. Her confidence pushed toward the surface.

She was curious. Her heart raced and once again, it seemed that the wetness that slicked inside panties only seemed to intensify. Heat burst from her skin in anticipation and set fire to her lower abdomen.

“C-can you remove the pillow?”

“W-what??” Adrien spat out.

“Please.”

“Uh…”

Adrien looked away bashfully as he slowly removed the pillow from his crotch. To see himself still erect, if not even moreso than before, chagrined himself deeply. He had tried desperately to will his erection away, but somehow seeing the innocent and insecure side of Ladybug contrasting so greatly with her usual confident demeanor… this only caused his member to stiffen even moreso. And now she was watching him, twitching slightly to his quickening pulse under the dampness of his briefs. Why did he have to wear something so formfitting? Blood had been pooled in that region a bit longer than necessary, and now he felt a bit light headed.

Both Adrien and Ladybug had long ago adjusted to seeing in the dimness of his room, and the faint glow of his monitor and the tiny lamp in his room was enough for her to see _everything_. 

“Er. Why is there a wet spot on your boxers?” She asked innocently.

“It’s uh… it’s pre-cum.”

“O-OH!”

Another pause. Adrien rubbed his neck nervously. His palms were slicked with sweat. At least she wasn’t running away screaming. This was unexpectedly embarrassing enough as is.

“C-can I see it?”

“Huh?”

“L-like… can I take it off?”

“…If that is what you wish.”

She reached out her hands slowly, shaking slightly as it reached the waistband of his briefs. She stopped.

It dawned on Ladybug that she barely knew anything about how boys were supposed to work. She spent so much pining over this particular individual, but had spent very little time actually understanding him. She realized she didn’t know what she wanted to do beyond this point. What the hell was she _doing_? Her head started to hurt as her previous surge of confidence slipped away.

“I’m sorry. This is something that really should be private. _Oh god_ , I’m so sorry for asking and putting you in this situation!”

“No, it’s fine! Really!”

“I-I should go.”

“Don’t go! … U-unless that’s what you really want to do…”

“Would you two stop talking and just _fuck_ already?”

A third voice erupted from the nightstand next to Ladybug. She jolted away from the sound suddenly and fell onto the floor, her face suddenly precariously close to Adrien’s opened legs.

“What the hell, Plagg?!”

“Oh come on! It’s like watching paint dry with you two! Just gimme some cheese so I can leave the room already!”

Ladybug turned to see the aforementioned black cat plush, now floating through the air with its green eyes staring mischievously at Marinette’s blues. This wasn’t an akuma… no. It looked so similar to her own kwami. Pieces clicked together in her head. 

She turned back to Adrien in horror.

“C-Chat?!?”

“Ladybug?”

“Chat, is that you? Because if it is, I swear to god…!”

“A-ahahah… I guess the _chat’s_  out of the bag now.”

Adrien was now standing, with the pillow once again clutched at his crotch.

Marinette’s head reeled. She couldn’t deal with yet another bomb this night. Not now. No, this was too much, and her head still hurt from earlier. This was another piece of the puzzle she wasn’t prepared to deal with just yet. She needed to leave.

_Right now._

“Wait! Please…!”

Adrien’s cries went unnoticed as she darted out the open window, back into the night. He frowned as a new horror arose in his chest.

_If that wasn’t a surefire way to kill a boner, I don’t know what is._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plagg, you little mischievous bastard!
> 
> I had some difficulty writing this because I wanted it to be written in both Marinette and Adrien's perspective. Sorry if it ended up being a bit confusing. Not sure where I'm going with this story, but I'm just in it for the awkward ride. B)


	4. Remorse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year. Get ready for Adrien vs. the world, starting at angst-o'clock.  
> Also sorry, but no smut this time cuz character development and all that fun jazz.

Just a moment ago, the girl of his dreams was in front of him - a blushing bundle of embarrassment, but she was there, staring straight at him with the same longing he'd always felt for her. It was more than he could ever hope for.

Now all the warmth that came with her was replaced with biting frustration the moment she darted out the window. Adrien simply stood, enveloped in the silence that settled in his bedroom.

"Why, Plagg?" he breathed incredulously.

The black kwami scoffed and floated indifferently around his room. 

"I was hungry. I think I deserve some cheese right now."

"How could you say that!? You scared Ladybug away!"

Plagg now turned to face Adrien, his green eyes now narrowed with admonishment. 

"Did you really want to do whatever it was you were going to do with Ladybug... all the while keeping your alter-ego a secret?"

"I-"

Adrien's eyes widened and stepped back. 

A new shame settled like lead in his stomach and he knew, much to his chagrin, that Plagg was right.

Adrien wanted to blame Plagg for ruining his chances with Ladybug, but acknowledged, with a startling realization, that he was the one to blame. Ladybug - the saviour of the city, and inadvertent key-holder of his heart - was the last person in the world he ever wanted to hurt. And in his selfish hopes to temporarily get into her good graces, he'd done just that. If they had proceeded that night to whatever it was they would have done, he didn't think he could live soundly with that knowledge that he deceived her.

It had been painfully obvious that neither of them had any idea what they were doing either.

In all of Adrien's 18 years, he was slightly embarrassed to admit that he'd never had a girlfriend, or had his first kiss, or had his first... anything. Ever since he fell in love with Ladybug, she was the only one he ever cared for - no other girl had even slightly captured his interest, and he was sure that if she were to continually rebuff his advances, he would have likely died a virgin. But just now... it was apparent that Ladybug was equally inexperienced, if not even moreso. Her cheeks were as red as her suit while she was asking him about the male anatomy. It was painfully adorable.

But if her insecurities hadn't come into play, or if Plagg hadn't interrupted... well who knows what that would have lead to? Adrien knew with a certainty that he wouldn't have the willpower to stop her himself, especially with the hormones erupting through his flesh. Of course, he wouldn't have done anything against her wishes, or pushed her into doing anything outside her comfort zone, but he still felt remorse at his deception.

How could he have done that to someone so lovely and innocent? He felt his world collapse.

"For someone so apathetic, I didn't think you had such a strong moral compass."

The black cat simply closed his eyes and returned to drifting aimlessly.

"Sometimes I care, if it leads to getting more cheese."

Adrien felt light-headed. He peered at the clock and noted the faint glowing numbers. It was already midnight. With a heavy sigh, he resolved to patch-up his blunder with Ladybug the next time he sees her... whenever that may be. After tonight, he wouldn't be surprised if she never wanted to speak to him again. But he knew, with all his heart that he would not relent until he could exhaust every option available to redeem himself.

"I'm never masturbating again," he mumbled as he slipped into his bedsheets.

"You keep telling yourself that," the black cat chuckled.

 

- 

 

The following 3 days were not easy for Tikki.

She was witness to new startling extremes of Marinette. At home, her charge would be a disorganized mess, unable to concentrate on her designs or homework. She would be prone to sudden outbursts of panic, resulting in constant pacing around her room as she tried to work out her thoughts. At this point, Marinette didn't know how she felt. Her feelings would oscillate between anger at Chat, then to torment by her persisting feelings for Adrien. She was having difficulty combining the two entities together in her head.

Marinette was also horrified, knowing that she essentially stalked Chat Noir two nights in a row to watch him masturbate. The first night started out unintentionally, but she couldn’t even bring herself to lie about the second night. And oh dear god, she had been so close to him… if there were no inhibitions that night, she would have surely torn off his boxers and explored every inch of his perfect body from head to toe. She wanted to see him unveiled, with his perfect cock standing erect _on her behalf._ From the willing look in his eyes – the hushed longing, the urgency… she was sure he would have just let her too.

Part of her wish she didn’t hold herself back yesterday.

But this was Chat, for god’s sake. That stupid, annoying, overly flirty partner. The number 1 fan in the Ladybug fandom, as evident by his shameless collection in his room. And those puns… all those stupid puns.

To her dismay, she felt, perhaps, that she also owed him an apology too, both for the stalking and leaving partway. But oh god, this was just too embarrassing.

Everything was _embarrassing_.

"How can I still be in love with someone who makes me so angry?" she cried in anguish. "How could I have even known they were the same person? I don't think I would have ever made moves on Chat... but I did! And now I don't even know what this means!"

The red kwami simply urged her to talk to the boy in person, but even the suggestion sent Marinette into another fit of anxiety. She did not show up for her usual patrols with Chat for 3 nights in a row, and Tikki started to feel like she was suffocating.

Watching Marinette's school-life descend into shambles was also wearing her thin.

Marinette's usual cheerful but shy demeanor was replaced with a somber distance. Greetings to her classmates suddenly disappeared from her daily routine. It was made more obvious by how Marinette pointedly ignored Adrien, even going so far as to avoid glancing at him like she usually did. She wouldn't even open up to Alya, despite her constant probing. She was awkwardly silent and only spoke when necessary. Even Chloe was aware of the new chilling demeanor and refrained from her usual harassment. Marinette was afraid to talk to anyone – afraid that opening her mind would set her off into a spiraling rampage.

On day 3, Tikki realized she really needed to intervene, or else she would never be able to live outside of Marinette's bedroom or purse ever again.

 

-

 

Outwardly, Adrien simply carried on acting as if nothing had happened since that night despite the maelstrom raged inside his heart. But Ladybug’s absence at their nightly patrol was causing his loose ends to fray. He finally decided to consult Nino in class before the start of their lecture:

"Nino, I have a problem.” The blonde boy started. “I'm asking you this, because you're the renowned king of social graces. What's the best way to apologize to someone?"

Nino raised one brow inquisitively. "Dude... what did you do this time?"

"…I really messed up."

"It's not Chloe again, is it?"

"God no. I wouldn't even care if it was at this point."

Nino lowered his voice and leaned in closer. His eyes bore into Adrien’s knowingly.

"You didn't piss off Marinette, did you? 'Cause, you know, she's been a bit off lately..."

Apparently, Nino hadn't been talking quietly enough.

"If you really wanted to apologize, a little honestly wouldn't have hurt."

Adrien turned to meet a red-faced girl with glowering blue eyes, staring back at his own emerald orbs. While still quiet, Marinette's voice wavered with unmistakable hostility.

"I-"

The shy girl turned away as the red crept up to her ears, realizing what she just said, and briskly ran out of the room. Her books and bag were all that remained in the classroom, next to her shocked classmates. Nino turned to Adrien and gaped.

"Dude, what the hell did you do to the class prez?!"

Behind, Alya slapped her hand on the table and leaned forward menacingly.

"Adrien! Are you the one who hurt my girl?!"

"I-I have no idea! I don't know what's going on!!"

The three students were abruptly hushed as Madame Bustier entered the classroom signaling the start of her lesson. Alya asked for permission to leave to look for Marinette before running after the girl.

It was then that Tikki decided to take action. With Marinette and Alya out of the room, there was no one to hold her back. As the lesson began and continued to drone on lifelessly, Tikki peered through the opening of Marinette's pink bag and saw Adrien's duffel, opened slightly directly in front. She scouted her vicinity and determined that everyone was too concentrated on the lesson to pay attention to the pink backpack beneath the desks. Tikki braced herself.

_3... 2... 1!_

In one swift motion, the tiny red kwami dived from Marinette's bag to the narrow opening of Adrien's duffel.

"Whaa- Tikki?! How'd you get in here?!"

The black kwami stared at the red incredulously. He was rewarded with a swift bop on his head.

"Ow! Is this what I get after not seeing you for so long?!"

"Plagg, you idiot!" Tikki whispered, "What happened to our agreement?!"

"What agreement?" Plagg rubbed his head gingerly.

"Remember what we said?” Tikki grabbed Plagg by the shoulders and bore holes into his eyes. “We would never directly interfere with the relationship between our charges. Not after... not after the last time!"

"Tikki, that was at least a thousand years ago."

"But the rules haven't changed!"

A silence settled between the two kwamis when the bag shook suddenly. Pushing Tikki to the side, glanced up at Adrien through the small crack between the zippers. Adrien squinted down at Plagg in a way that meant shut-up-unless-you-don’t-want-cheese-ever-again.

The black cat slowly turned his green eyes back to Tikki. He rested a paw tenderly on her cheek and watched as her eyes soften.

"I know you still feel bad about what happened last time. I haven't quite forgiven myself yet either, Tikki. But after all this time... I'd like to think we've gotten better at what we're doing. I have complete faith in Adrien and Ladybug... I know we didn't pick the wrong people this time, and I know they are the perfect match. They're the perfect yin and yang."

"But... my Ladybug has been losing it lately! She can't even think straight. She's such a mess right now."

"Same with my Chat. But they would have to reveal themselves to each other at some point, right? At least I stopped them from doing something too stupid so early on before they even knew each other's identity. Heh, could you imagine that?" Plagg chuckled quietly.

A swift kick jolted the bag once again, as Adrien became increasingly annoyed at Plagg's indiscretion.

After a moment of silence, Tikki sighed and fell into Plagg's tiny arms. The timeless familiarity filled her body with a sense of peace as Plagg gently began to knead her unbidden. Tikki had really missed Plagg. Despite the troublesome situation they were in, she welcomed his embrace. As the two kwamis felt themselves settle back into their ancient ways like reunited lovers, a calmness spread between the two.

"...I guess you're right,” she breathed, “I just hate seeing Ladybug so distraught. I just can't believe Chat was  _Adrien_  all this time..."

"I know, right?" Plagg grinned mischievously as he held Tikki tighter. "I sure picked a real winner this time, eh? And I can't believe that Ladybug is.... Wait a sec. Who'd you pick as Ladybug?"

Suddenly, the bag lurched, and both kwamis were thrown against the fabric walls of the inner compartment. The kwamis toppled over one another as a stick of deodorant and wallet tumbled against them. Muffled voices were heard outside, and they felt the bag move with increasing velocity. Amidst their heartfelt reunion, Madame Bustier's lesson had come to an end and Adrien had hastily left the classroom after a brief apology to Nino for leaving so fast. They felt his pace slowing as Adrien approached an empty classroom. A burst of light filled the bag as the zipper was thrown wide open.

"Plagg, what are you - WOAH WHAT IS THAT?!"

Blood drained from Adrien's face when he saw the red kwami, huddled in horror against the folds of fabric and other paraphernalia. Despite her desperate attempt at hiding, she was far too red and eye-catching to not be seen. Tikki felt Plagg's warm paw lightly rest on her shoulder, pulling her up from her crouched position to look at his charge. In a fashion that was far too similar to Adrien's, Plagg rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Adrien... meet Tikki, my dear friend and Ladybug's kwami."

The blonde boy took a step back.

"L-ladybug's kwami?! How'd she get in my bag?"

"Hello Adrien," The tiny red kwami started with a slight tremble in her voice, "It's nice to finally meet you in… well, less compromising… positions. I'm here with Plagg, discussing the current situation and seeing how we can fix with it."

_What a first impression,_ thought the boy, with his cheeks glowing aflame. Despite her tiny stature, Adrien felt like a young child being reprimanded by a mother.

“I- I see. Nice to meet you too.”

A beat passed.

"So... how is Ladybug?" Adrien's voice was almost a whisper in the quiet classroom.

Tikki sighed. "She's not doing great. She's doesn't know how she's supposed to feel right now."

"What do you mean? Isn't she angry at me?"

"Well yes, of course she is. But she's also trying to sort things out between her anger and her love for you."

"L-ladybug loves me?!"

"Yes, of course. I need to get back to her though..."

Adrien felt his emotions swell from within. He wanted to burst into flames.

"What can I do?" he pleaded, "I don't even know how to contact her at this rate. As I'm sure you know, she's been avoiding me since that night."

"Just talk to her and apologize."

The boy ran his fingers through his blonde hair and clutched his locks nervously. 

"But how? I don't even know who Ladybug is! I-Is she in my class?"

Tikki bit her lip nervously with her eyes downcast.

"…I can't tell you.”

Adrien watched the kwami's face and interpreted the shakiness in her voice as a confirmation. How could he have been so blind? He felt the blood begin to rush through his body as his heart raced in his chest. The red kwami's words and actions filled him anew with determination. He felt so stupid. The girl of his dreams had been in front of him this entire time.

... or rather, behind him.

_That would explain earlier,_ he noted with a grimace.

"It's Marinette, isn't it?"

Tikki turned back and gawked at Adrien with terror etched in her eyes.

_Well fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... DETERMINATION...
> 
> Don't forget that Tikki and Plagg are da real MVPs. I hope you still liked this chapter despite the lack of smut, but get ready for the next one - oh boy!


	5. Resolve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats, pervert, your patience is now being rewarded with more dorkiness.  
> I don't know how I ended up writing close to 5k in this chapter. This is new.

_Oh no._

_Oh no, oh no, oh NO._

Marinette couldn’t find Tikki, and Alya wouldn’t leave her alone.

What else could she have expected? She ran out of the class right before the start of lecture, right after a sudden outburst at the blonde boy in front. And she had been so passive-aggressive too – those words slipped carelessly out of her mouth, and they couldn’t have gone unnoticed, especially when she saw his eyes filled with remorse like he’d been caught. Which, of course, he had been, and she shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, but Nino had been talking far too loud for anyone with any sense of discretion.

And once again, she felt like putty in Adrien’s gaze like she did before, years ago. Being flustered leads to bad choices, so she ran.

When Alya came to find her panicking in the washroom, the caring best friend wouldn’t leave her alone. Alya kept asking her questions, but Marinette couldn’t seem to find her voice. She tried to open her mouth and produce some semblance of an excuse, but she couldn’t think of anything, so all she could produce were tiny noises of frustration. Alya eventually relented when she realized it would be impossible to get any answers out of her and just pulled her into a hug, soothingly patting her back until Marinette felt the anxiety slip from her shoulders to the floor.

By the time Marinette finally calmed down, the lecture was already half over, and it seemed useless to go back partway through. It would have only drawn more attention to the blue-black haired girl. The rest of the time, Marinette welcomed Alya’s distraction as she prattled on about how awesome Ladybug was, and so forth.

Both girls finally went back to class after the lesson ended to retrieve their backpacks. Relieved, Marinette released her breath when she saw that the blonde boy was nowhere to be seen. It seemed that Madame Bustier was waiting for the two girls and holding onto their items for safekeeping. Marinette felt a spike of guilt when she realized that she’d left Tikki alone in her bag, and hoped dearly that no one thought to look through her things.

She peeped through the flap and noticed a distinct lack of red inside.

_Oh no. Where the hell is Tikki?!_

Anxiety began to surge through Marinette once again.

“Come on, Mari,” called the brunette, “I’ll walk you home today.”

“UH IT’S OKAY, I-I CAN GET HOME BY MYSELF!”

Alya frowned at Marinette, concern now filling her face. “You have a panic attack and won’t tell me what’s going on, and now you expect me to leave you alone again? I’m gonna walk you home at the very least, and that’s final.”

“But bu-“

“Come on, let’s go!”

Alya grabbed the wrist of the panicking girl and dragged her away.

 

-

 

It took at least 2 hours for Marinette to shake free of Alya’s motherly grasp. She was hoping that her parents would have wanted her to help out with the bakery once she got home so Alya would leave, but that didn’t seem to deter the brunette at all. Alya walked her home, invited herself in, insisted on helping out the Dupain-Chengs, helped herself to some tea and then tried to pry into Marinette’s mind some more before finally giving up for the day. Despite the constant urge to push Alya out, Marinette tried her best to be a cordial host the entire time, but her mind remained distracted because oh god _WHERE IS TIKKI?!_

When Alya finally left, it took all of her effort not to slam her door closed before she started visibly panicking once again. She raced to her room and paced in circles, pulling on her blue-black pigtails in hysteria.

_I swear I left her in my bag because she said she felt like she was suffocating in my tiny side purse but then I left it in class when I ran out so if someone saw her during this time oh my god -_

The gentle tapping at her window went unnoticed amidst the thoughts that raced through her head.

_\- imagine if it was Chloe or even Madame Bustier who found Tikki LIKE HOW WOULD THEY EVEN REACT TO SEEING AN ANTHROPORMORPHIC SENTIENT FLOATING LADYBUG –_

The tapping at the window continued ever so persistently, a bit louder than.

_\- OH MY GOD MY LIFE IS OVER HOW AM I GONNA EVER FACE CHAT –_

The tapping now progressed to loud, unavoidable knocking.

_\- C-CHAT??_

Marinette looked up to see the very same black cat smirking. She hesitated briefly before opening her window and letting the Chat inside. She recalled, briefly, that Chat Noir wasn’t supposed to know Ladybug’s alter ego, and with Tikki missing… there was no way to prove her identity anyway.

“Hello _Purr_ incess. _Chat_ got your tongue?”

“Chat! W-what brings you here? Am I in danger?”

Chat playfully brushed his claws through his dishevelled hair. “I don’t know. _Mew_ tell me.”

An unanticipated shiver swept through her, causing her hairs to stand on end. _THOSE PUNS_. Then Marinette remembered it was Adrien behind the mask. The same blonde hair, now tousled from running through the roofs of Paris… those emerald eyes that seemed to liquefy her mind whenever they made contact with her own… and oh, that same stature and slim athletic build, that same _body_ beneath the leather suit…

 _How could someone so attractive constantly have so many stupid things to say?_ Marinette felt the heat slowly rise in her cheeks. She crossed her arms and turned away to hide her face.

“Go away kitty. Shouldn’t you be saving Paris with Ladybug?”

Chat found it hard to keep a straight face at this point. A chuckle slipped from his lips.

“It seems like my Lady is off doing errands of her own. Like looking for something important.”

Marinette’s ears perked at his words.

She turned to face him and saw Tikki standing on Chat’s head, large smile plastered on that tiny face.

“Marinette!” cried the tiny red kwami, suddenly throwing herself into Marinette’s arms.

She felt a sudden wave of relief washed over her, overwhelming all her senses. The heavy burden and soul crushing weight that had been beating on her for days suddenly lifted, and tears unexpectedly rolled down her cheeks. She sniffled softly.

“Marinette? What’s wrong?”

Chat took a step forward and raised his arms to wrap them around her. He hesitated. _She’s probably still mad at me_. Awkwardly, he changed his stance midway to simply rest his hands on her shoulder compassionately. Astonishingly, the black haired girl closed the distance between. She clutched the tiny kwami to her chest with one arm, and wrapped the other arm around his waist to pull him closer. The tears were falling harder now as she cried into his chest.

“I-I’m so _–hic-_ s-sorry Chat…”

“I’m sorry too, Ladybug…”

He rested his chin on the top of her head and held her close. Minutes passed as he stroked her hair reassuringly, until the sobs slowed to quiet whimpers. Marinette took a large breathe and exhaled, and her shoulders finally stood still.

“Chat…” her voice was raspy and her mouth felt sticky. “I’m sorry for stalking you, then ignoring you after finding out your identity. I was just so confused…”

Chat felt his body fade at her earnest words. “T’is nothing, my Lady. I’m sorry for not being upfront about my identity right away. I-it was really hard for me- “

And stifled giggle slipped from Marinette. Confused, Chat moved back and looked at her tear stained face, betrayed by the coy smile now spreading across lips.

“What’s so funny?”

“… you… you…”

“Huh?”

“I-I’m aware it was really _hard_ for you…”

Marinette tore away from the confused boy, now unable to contain the laughter that filled every corner of her pink room. Adrien’s face turned scarlet with embarrassment.

“This is the thanks I get for bringing back your kwami?!”

He crossed his arms and pouted. Marinette kept laughing, now grasping her aching sides and one hand clutching the edge of her bed to steady her shaking body.

“I’m sorry! I just wanted you to get a taste of your own bad jokes for once.”

She finally wiped away the vestiges of tears from her eyes and turned back to Chat. Her tear stained face was now pink from laughter, eyes soft and all the worries in the world now lifted from every feature. Chat couldn’t help but smile back as her enchanting laugh rang through his ears. It felt so good to be reunited with his Lady, regardless of what happened before. They’ve had their fair share of fights and misunderstandings before, and he could foresee plenty more to come in the future, but there was nothing that he and his Lady could not overcome.

“Plagg, you can put your claws away now.”

A flash of green light filled the room as Chat Noir transformed back to Adrien. The tiny black cat rushed from Adrien’s rings toward Tikki, and the reunited kwamis held each other as they flew around the room with glee. Marinette’s jaw dropped – she’d never seen Chat transform before, and now she was left with the boy of her dreams again – the one who still turned her brain into mush. She blushed and turned away once again.

“Uh - why did you have Tikki anyway?”

“She came to see Plagg, because she was so worried about you. Then, uh, I took her by accident before you came back to class.”

Silence. Adrien rubbed his neck anxiously, noting the distance that once again settled between the two.

“Are you still mad at me, Mari?”

“No! No.” She held her arms up defensively. “I just… oh Chat. Adrien. Whatever it is. It still takes a bit to get used to! I just… I wish we could both go back to how we were before, you know?”

“Y-yeah, totally…”

Adrien knew that last part was a lie, and his posture crumpled slightly. He was hoping that she would have still been interested in him somewhat, despite the mayhem of the past few days, but it seemed that he _was_ the proverbial unlucky black cat in every sense. _At least she’s smiling again_ , he rationalized, _and maybe I can get a hug from her every now and then…_ he felt he could settle for those radiant smiles if it meant he could still be close to her. His lady may only see him platonically, but he knew his heart would still only skip to the thoughts of her alone.

“Are you okay?”

Her big blue eyes were now boring into his once again, desperately searching his forlorn face for answers. He smiled weakly. He supposed, that in the spirit of revelations, he could at least take one last shot.

“Marinette… I still feel the same way as before. I still like –no- _love_ everything about you, from your bravery to your kindness to your… everything. I understand if you don’t feel the same way, but I just wanted you to –MMMPH!”

Adrien found his lips pressed against his Lady’s, soft and insistent and just a little bit salty from the tears. She held him close by the collars of his shirt and he was melting. _Ladybug is kissing me…?_ His heart seemed to burst in his chest and electricity rushed through his body. It was short and sweet and Adrien found himself wanting more after she pulled away gently.

“Kitty…” she whispered. “We’re going to be okay.”

Scarlet powdered her cheeks in embarrassment. She’d never done that before, and she wasn’t sure how she managed to channel Ladybug’s boldness while out of the suit, but oh god, she did it and he responded without running away. She felt the sludgy fingers of fear start to creep into her heart again, because she didn’t know what she was doing and there were a million ways for her to mess this up for both of them, but she pushed the fear away. She wasn’t going to run away – not this time.

The confusion in Adrien’s face transitioned to elation. He raised his hands to cup her cheeks to stare her in those big blue eyes, before closing the gap between their faces once again. He’d never kissed anyone before, but there was no one else in the world he ever wanted to kiss, so he tasted those soft lips that now moved gently against his too. He felt a heat growing inside that ran hot through his veins and hardened his flesh under his jeans.

_Fuck._

Those awkward teen hormones were back to tease him again, now with a vengeance. He reflexively buckled his hips away from Marinette in hopes that she didn’t notice the hardening ridge beneath his jeans. Marinette was too focused on his lips to pay attention, and he felt himself stiffen even further when the wetness of her tongue probed his lips inquisitively. He was putty in her hands, and opened his mouth to accept her tongue hungrily.

Emboldened, she loosened the grip on his collars and stroked his chest over his clothing, admiring the dense bundle of muscles on his chest from constant fighting and patrolling. She traced her fingers against the ridges of his torso, all the while still tasting the sweetness of his mouth against hers. Likewise, his hands followed the gentle curve of her neck until it rested on the small of her back, sending shivers up her spine. Her hands continued to travel downward until she ran her lithe fingers under the hem of his shirt and crept her soft fingers up against the skin of his belly. Despite all the time they’d spent together fighting akumas across the city, this was the first time she ever felt her partner’s body so intimately, and she relished in the texture of his skin against her fingertips. They pressed against him, feeling firmness of his abdominals flex under her touch.

Was he trying hard to impress her… or was he just ticklish?

His breathing hitched. “H-hey… what are you-“

She decided to press her luck further… and stuck a finger into his bellybutton.

“GYAHH!!”

She turned away from him playfully as she erupted into more laughter. Adrien placed a hand over his belly defensively, gawking in disbelief. Who knew his Lady had such as mischievous streak?

“Get back here, you!”

He grabbed her before she could run away and started tickling her back. The two heroes both started tickling each other and trying to poke each other in the belly button until they were squealing with laughter. Marinette tried to push Adrien away, but he held onto her slim arms and they both fell back onto the bed, with her on top of him. She struggled against his grip until she succumbed and leaned back into his face for another kiss. Their lips met with even more enthusiasm, tongue dancing against each other fervently. An unexpected guttural _purr_ rumbled from his throat, shocking the lovers. They both stopped, and she became painfully aware of the hardness that was poking her leg. She sat atop his hips and looked down at him.

“W-where are we going with this?” asked the boy, consternation etched in his eyes.

“Er… I’m not sure.”

“I’m, uh, really sorry about having another… boner right now.”

“T-that’s okay!”

“… are you uncomfortable?”

“…no. Are you?”

“… no.”

The blonde boy’s smile returned, and he bade her closer again. She returned and kissed him tenderly while wiggling her hips slightly. She watched his eyes widen in panic as his hips automatically buckled back against hers, and she felt his hardness pulse against the fabric at her crotch.

 _Were boys really this easy to please?_   She smirked.

She continued to grind her hips against his, watching his face change from embarrassment to resignation at her relentlessness with this, then to ecstasy as the pleasure began to build in his groin. She, too, felt wetness began to seep between her legs as his groin began pounding against her sensitive bundle of nerves at a rhythm that matched her own. Her breathing quickened as the feeling started to build and feel good for her too. Quiet breathes escaped from his lips that eventually turned to moans as his pleasure continued to amplify.

“Mari… M-mari! I’m gonna-!“

His voice cut off and she felt his body abruptly stiffen beneath her momentarily before relaxing. He gasped for breath as defeat seemed to find its ways onto his face. His eyes met hers momentarily before he hid his face behind his hands.

”Did you just…?”

He continued to hide his face in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, Marinette.”

“Oh, Adrien!”

Marinette climbed off the blushing boy and kneeled next him on her bed. She noticed the small spot of wetness that seemed to have seeped past his boxers and began to penetrate his jeans. She knew how embarrassed he was, but somehow… somehow this just made him even more adorable, being completely unable to control himself while with her. She gently pried his hands from his face and kissed him on the forehead.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. She pulled him up and into her arms and cradled the embarrassed boy. “Let’s change you into something else, okay?”

She pulled him out of bed and into the washroom to change before went to her desk to grab a secret project she had been working on lately. It wasn’t much, but she honestly didn’t expect it to come in use one day, and especially not so soon. When she returned, she was holding a pair of boxers with black cats printed all over the fabric.

Adrien lit up the moment he laid his eyes on them. He roared with laughter.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?”

Marinette giggled when she handed them to him. “Y-yeah. I bought this fabric a long time ago, but didn’t know what I would make with it until… you know, that night. I had a lot of difficulty sleeping lately.”

“Heh, me too.”

Adrien unbuckled the belt on his jeans and slipped them past his hips. Sure enough, there was a big splotch of wetness on the boxers he wore underneath. He looked away bashfully when he realized Marinette was still watching him.

“Uh… do you mind looking away?”

“Oh! Yes, sorry… though it’s not like I haven’t seen this before…”

“Trust me, it’s considerably less impressive right now.”

She turned away to let him change in peace. When he finished, she looked back at him, still wearing the same clothing on his upper body, but was now only wearing socks and the silly cat-printed boxers on the bottom. She giggled once again before pulling him into her arms again and dragging him into bed.

“God, I’m so embarrassed,” he groaned, burying his face into the crest of her neck. Marinette shushed him as she cradled him tighter. Her fingers danced against his hair as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist. He was having a lot of problems feeling so emasculated, constantly revealing so many mortifying things in front of his Lady, but she didn’t seem to care and only wanted to hold him more. His heart swelled – he was sure that he didn’t deserve to have her; she was far too perfect and pure for a mangy alley cat like himself. But she continued to pet him, stroking his hair gently as he nuzzled her neck, and made no sign of wanting to push him away. His Lady’s kindness pulled on this alley cat’s heart, and perhaps her luck was supposed to be sufficient for the both of them. Her gentle caresses strengthened his resolve in his chest – despite all blunders he’s made so far, he wanted to do something for her too. He braced himself for rejection.

“My Lady.”

“Yes, Chat?”

“Can I try… uh, doings things for you too?”

“Like what?”

“Um. Like, making you feel good?”

“Oh. OH.”

He glanced up to see his Lady red as a beet, but also trying desperately to withhold a smile.

“S-sure…” she replied, almost unable to contain the giddiness in her voice. She still wasn’t quite sure what he meant or what he intended, but then again… she still felt the uncomfortable wetness in between her legs and the heat that still boiled in her belly. And this was _Adrien Agreste_ who was talking to her. It would have been a shame to not take this opportunity.

She watched as Adrien snaked to the edge of her bed and stood to face her before placing his hands on her belly.

“May I…?” he asked cautiously. She nodded, and the next thing she knew, he was unbuttoning her pink capris and sliding them down her legs to reveal her damp polka-dotted panties. It was embarrassing being this naked in front of the boy, but _oh gods this is Adrien and he looks like he’s ready to devour me_. He leaned forward again and pulled her pink shirt over her arms to reveal a matching polka-dotted bra, and he smirked at the sight.

“Are you okay with me taking off more?” he asked. He knew how shy she was in front of him, and he would do everything in the world to make sure she was comfortable, just as she had comforted him earlier. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt his Lady again.

She nodded willingly despite the redness that crept across every surface of her body.

He gingerly reached forward and cupped her petite breasts, excitement raging through his skin. He’d never been so bold as to hold a pair of breasts in his hands before, and the experience felt surreal. He gently kneaded them with his thumbs before tracing the strap towards her back.

_Aw fuck._

Adrien Agreste was an expert on _male_ fashion, not female. And definitely not when it came to lingerie. He fingered the hooks helplessly behind her back and struggled to undo them as the shame continued to blossom on his cheeks. He heard another quiet giggled at his ear before she whispered:

“Push it together rather than pull them apart.”

He did as he was told, and the clasp magically came undone.

“Phew! I was afraid I was going to need to use cataclysm.”

“You better not do that to my clothing!”

He pulled back to admire her naked form and grinned. Finally, his Lady was in front of him with nothing left to hide… and she was so beautiful. It seemed that the light pink that constantly dusted her cheeks found their way to her shoulders too, and there were a few faint freckles that speckled her otherwise perfectly translucent skin. But she was so beautiful and pure that it took all his will to not keep staring.

“Stop looking at me like that! I feel weird!”

Adrien complied and leaned forward to kiss her neck and run his tongue along her jaw. He felt her shudder beneath his touch as a laboured breath escaped. He pressed on, planting tiny kisses along her chest and flicking his tongue against her nipple. She suddenly convulsed to his touch and moaned ever so insistently as he sucked her flesh, sending waves of pleasure straight to her groin. She thread her delicate fingers through his blonde hair, holding him as he continued on downward, kissing her soft belly (she smacked him lightly on the head when he tongued her belly button out of spite) until he reached the edge of her panties. He pressed his finger against her crotch and they were simply _soaking wet._ He buried his nose against her and inhaled her sweet scent. She was… intoxicating.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Mari?”

“Y-yes…”

Finally, he looped his fingers over the hem of her panties and pulled them past her hips, revealing her womanhood, _paw_ sitively oozing with anticipation. This was definitely something he’d never seen before, and it thrilled him to know he was able to cause this response from his Lady – the same response she’d inadvertently caused in him for oh so many nights. He took in the beauty of her, eyes following the gently curves of her body and watching the transition in colours of her flesh, the slight dapple of blue-black hair that framed her…

“A-adrien. You’re st-staring at me oh god is it _that_ hideous ‘cause if I knew I WOULD HAVE SHAVED!”

Adrien gently fingered her folds and prodded her flesh, feeling each crevice. “No Mari… you’re absolutely _purr_ fect.”

He wasn’t sure what he was doing because all he knew was from possibly unreliable sources from the internet, but he made a choice to do this, and it was time to act on it. He found her clitoris, the tiny bud of flesh protruding from her skin, and he dived straight for it.

“Gyaah! CHAT! No, stop!” She pushed his head away with her hands and closed her legs.

“W-wha?”

“T-that’s too sensitive right now!”

“Oh, sorry!”

She cautiously opened her legs once more and he tried again.

This time, he gently caressed her folds with his tongue, sucking her delicate folds and tasting her womanhood. The flavour was strange – a bit salty, somewhat slimy, but also surprisingly sweet, and he drank her in. Marinette laid on her bed with her upper torso propped upright and watched him nervously. _Adrien Agreste_ … oh gods, this was Adrien Agreste, the perfect boy model who entered her dreams every night was now crouched against the side of her bed with his perfectly formed celestial face literally right between her legs, pressed up against her sex. He was licking the most intimate area of her body, and when he looked up to see Marinette staring at him and just watching him explore her, she felt her body liquefying further as a moan escaped.

He saw that as a good sign, and carefully slid a finger into her. He held it in place at first, allowing her body to adjust to the unfamiliar sensation, before he began to move his finger around. Her sex seemed to drip in torrents as he slid his finger in and out and continued to suckle on her. Another moan. He finally moved back to her clitoris and this time, tongued it warily.

“How does this feel?” His voice vibrated against her flesh.

“R-really good. A-ah! Yeah right there!”

He continued to tongue her in a circular motion while sliding his finger in and out, slowly increasing his speed in response to her buckling hip. Her skin was so hot to his touch and he felt her muscles tensing beneath him, pleasure building with every stroke. Her breathing hitched in response and she twitched uncontrollably in response.

“A-adrien I’m gonna…”

Her words were cut off as she suddenly tightened her legs around his head and convulsed. With his finger still inside, he felt her inner walls contract in rhythmic waves as she rode out the orgasm. It was short-lived, but when it ended, she lay spent on the bed with her heavy breathes escaping her lungs.

He looked up at her with a proud grin on his face. His face was still wet from her sex and he looked so ridiculous and adorable.

“Was it good, my Lady?”

“Oh Adrien… just positively wonderful. Thank you, you silly kitten.”

Marinette grabbed a tissue and wiped the boy’s face who was still beaming with pride at being able to satisfy his Lady. She smiled back at him, because it was impossible to not smile back when it was Adrien who looked at her like the protagonist to every romance story. She pulled him into her arms once again and felt every pain and every worry wash away and she basked in his presence. She was exhausted, and so was he, and they both rolled under the covers of her bed. They felt the sleepiness that evaded them for so many days finally returning to greet them.

The sun continued to shine outside as if nothing ever happened, but the dynamic between the heroic duo was forever changed. It seemed ridiculous that it took five years of constant fumbling in the dark after unrequited love before they were able to see it was each other they’d been chasing all this time. Now that they found each other, it was impossible to unsee all the signs that inevitably pointed them toward this single moment in time where they both laid in bed, linked in flesh and in their hearts. She had always been that painfully shy designer, and he’d always been that same cat with too many bad puns for his own good. But now, she was also the same clandestine heroine that protected the city, and he too, the perfect student and model that she would never stop admiring. He purred lazily, and she buzzed in contentment against his arms.

“Will you stay with me forever, my Lady?”

“Of course.”

“No more running away this time. Got that?”

She smiled against his chest as drowsiness began to overtake her senses.

“Clear as day, kitten.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me as I complete my first fic! This ended up being a bit longer than I anticipated, but I hope it was worth the read. This concludes as the final installment of this fic.
> 
> Honestly, the relationship between the two is how I hope all first time sexual encounters should be like: awkward, full of laughter, consensual but still fun, and hopefully between two people who really care about each other. Communication really is key here.
> 
> BTW, some of you guys were really amused by the idea of Nendoroid Ladybug and Chat, so I drew the duo here: http://bittersweetdeath.tumblr.com/post/136506820697/some-of-you-guys-were-really-amused-at-the-idea-of#notes

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my first ever fic. Hope you enjoyed the sin. I just wanted to write some angsty Ladrien nonsense since I couldn't find anything else like this. 
> 
> Drafts and art are also found in my tumblr of the same username.


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